Dietary transition to an Indigenous Greenlandic diet induces instant shifts in gut microbiota composition – a pilot intervention study

Changes in diet or supplements can cause measurable changes in the types and amounts of bacteria in the gut within a few days.

When people eat an Indigenous Arctic diet, the ratio of two types of gut bacteria changes and stays changed even after they return to a Western diet.

When people follow an Indigenous Arctic diet low in fiber and high in animal-based nutrients, the types of gut bacteria that digest fiber decrease, while bacteria that process protein and fat increase.

Switching from a typical Western diet to an Indigenous Greenlandic diet based on raw, dried, and fermented animal foods changes the gut microbiome within seven days, increasing certain bacteria linked to protein and fat metabolism while decreasing those linked to fiber digestion.

Eating dried whole fish with intestines as part of a traditional Arctic diet is linked to the temporary presence of specific bacteria, like Photobacterium, in the human gut.

People who eat a traditional Arctic diet based on animal foods, even without plant fiber, have the same level of gut microbial diversity as people who eat plant-rich diets.